Toilet tissue holding and dispensing device



May 21, 1963 w. w. METCALF TOILET TISSUE HOLDING AND DISPENSING DEVICE 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1960 INVENTOR- Vl a/fer VIZ/1920f BYATTORNEYS y 1, 1963 w. w. METCALF 3,090,572

TOILET TISSUE HOLDING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 1, 1960 4Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

M/a/fer 14 Ne/ca/f BY M M TOILET TISSUE HOLDING AND DISPENSING DEVICEFiled March 1, 1960 May 21, 1963 w. w. METCALF 4 SheetsSheet 3 11/114 25mm A m May 21, 1963 w. w. METCALF TOILET TISSUE HOLDING AND DISPENSINGDEVICE Filed March 1, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 f2? Mentor l l/nller 14Me/m/f i WWW %//".'s flzfzf'orv'veys United States Patent ()fiice3',957Z Patented May 21, 1963 3,l 9,572 TOILET TISSUE HQLDHNG ANDDlShENSlhlG DEVE'CE Walter W. Metcalf, deceased, late of Greenwich, NSL,by

Helen S. Metcalf, administratrix, Greenwich, N.Z., assignor to Stevens8; Thompson laper ornpany, Greern wish, FLY a corporation of New YorkFiled Mar. 1, 1969, Ser. No. 12,036 6 Claims. (Cl. 242--55.3)

This invention relates generally to holding and dispensing devices, andmore particularly to devices for holding and dispensing toilet tissue.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application for UnitedStates Letters Patent filed in the name of Walter W. Metcalf, entitledToilet Tissue Cabinet, filed on January 15, 1954, bearing Serial No.404,215, and now abandoned. Application for United States Letters Patentfiled in the name of Walter W. Metcalf entitled Toilet Tissue Holdingand Dispensing Device, filed on March 31, 1958, and bearing Serial No.725,400 which is co-pending with the aforesaid application, Serial No.404,215, is also co-pending with this application, and is now abandoned.

The invention is primarily concerned with a device and cabinet forholding toilet tissue in the form of rolls, and is particularly adaptedfor use in manufacturing plants, ofiice buildings and other places wherelarge numbers of people use the facilities of a common lavatory.

In lavatories where a supply of toilet paper must always be maintained,it is the usual practice for janitors or other assigned employees tomake frequent inspections of the supply of paper available. In order toavoid a situation where there is no toilet paper available, the janitoror employee will often leave a new roll of paper when the roll which ispresently within the facility has been used to a point where there is avery little toilet paper left there- If the toilet paper dispenser is ofthe ordinary type and designed to hold only a single roll, and theindividual who is inspecting the supply finds that only a small supplyof paper remains on the roll, he either leaves a full roll in the area,or he removes the old roll and replaces it with a completely new roll.If he does this and throws the old roll away, there is over a period oftime a substantial loss in money, If, however, he does not throw the oldroll away but leaves it within the lavatory facility, it is not unusualfor the roll of toilet paper to become unraveled on the floor, and as aresult the lavatory becomes unsanitary, or if the person who cleans upis conscientious, he must do an additional amount of work. In additionto the situation of replacement of rolls, it is not uncommon forunscrupulous persons to remove toilet paper rolls from lavatoryfacilities, thus rendering the facility without toilet paper and wastinga substantial quantity of paper over a period of time.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a device andcabinet for holding toilet tissue which will result in a substantialsaving in the amount of toilet paper used, aid in keeping the lavatoryneat, and lessen the work of the person who must change the paper, andat all times allow for paper to be present.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toilet tissue holdingand dispensing device which is provided wth means for holding a completeroll of toilet tissue and also with means for holding part of a roll, sothat when it becomes necessary to insert a fresh roll of paper, thatportion of the replaced roll which still remains may be positioned inthe device so that it may be used instead of wasted.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter which is adapted to hold either coreless rolls of paper orrolls which have the usual cylindrical cardboard core.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is provided with braking means adapted to cooperate withthe rolls by applying friction to the end thereof so that they cannotrotate freely.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device in whichthe rolls of toilet tissue are locked in place to prevent bodily removalthereof from the cabinet.

Toilet tissue holding and dispensing devices embodying the invention,and the manner of using the same are described herein with references tothe drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a toilet tissue holding anddispensing device constructed in accordance with the teachings of thisinvention with portions in section and portions broken away;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 1 with a sheet oftoilet tissue shown thereon in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in the direction ofthe arrows as indicated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in the direction ofthe arrows as indicated in FIG. 1 showing in phantom the cover of thedevice in open position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view with portions broken awayshowing the cover of the device in closed, locked position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, perspective view similar to the view in FIG. 5with portions broken away to show the cover of the device in openedposition;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 88 in the direction ofthe arrows as indicated in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional sectional view taken along the line 9-9in the direction of the arrows as indicated in FIG. 7 with portionsthereof broken away;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10-40 in the directionof the arrows as indicated in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view in the plane 99 of FIG. 7 withportions broken away;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 but showing the device unlocked;

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective View of the parts shown in FIGS. 11and 12; and

FIG. 14 is an elevational view of the key used for unlocking the deviceshown in FIG. 7.

Referring first to the FIGS. 1 through 4, the device shown thereincontains a back plate Ztl which is adapted to be secured to a wall bymeans of screws or other fastening means extending through slots 21.(See FIGS. 5 and 6.) Spindles 2.2 and 23 are rigidly secured to the backplate and adapted, respectively, to hold a full roll of toilet tissue 24and a partially used roll of toilet tissue 25. The back plate has astruck in portion 26 to provide space for the ends of the spindles whichproject through the back plate. At the left hand end as viewed in FIGS;5 and 6, a portion 27 of back plate 26 is bent forwardly at right anglesand has a fiat cover looking spring 23 secured thereto. The front endsof the spindles 2.2 and 23 are free.

The spindles project perpendicularly from the back plate and areparallel with one another lying in a horizontal plane with their centerlines spaced apart a distance less than the diameter, but greater thanthe radius of a full roll of toilet paper.

The cabinet is open at the bottom, but is normally closed at the top,front and sides by a cover indicated generally by the numeral 29 in thedrawings. Cover 29 contains a top portion 39 having down turned sideportions 31 and 32, and a down turned front portion 33. Secured to thetop portion of the cover by means of rivets 34, or otherwise, is agenerally U-shaped portion forming the sides 35 and 36 and the front 37of the cabinet when the cover is closed.

The cover is hinged to back plate 20 at 38 as shown and in order to lockit in closed position, side 35 near the rear thereof is provided with astruck in portion 39 (see FIGS. 3 and which snaps behind spring 28 whenthe cover is closed. In order to release the lock to open the cover, theend portion 35 is provided with a slot 40 through which a flat key maybe inserted to press spring 28 inwardly past the struck-in portion 3% ofthe cover so that the cover is released.

The spindles 22 and 23 are mounted with respect to the cover so that atleast one of them is spaced from the cover in closed position a distancegreater than the radius of a roll of toilet paper.

[In order to hold the cover in opened position during the removal andreplacement of a toilet tissue roll, there is pivotally secured to theside 35 of the cover a pendulous element 41 having an inturned portion42 at the bottom thereof. When the cover is closed, the element 41 is inthe position shown in FIG. 5, but when the cover is fully raised theelement 41 swings into the notch 43 in the back plate and holds thecover, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. In order to lower the cover it is onlynecessary to swing the element 41 forwardly out of the notch 43 by meansof the finger.

In order to prevent the rolls of paper from turning too freely onspindles 22 and 23 there is secured to the inner side of the front ofthe cover two fiat springs 44 and 45. The spring 44 is provided with acylindrical disc 46 which bears against the end of the roll of paper onspindle 22 when the cover is closed and the spring 45 bears against theend of the roll of paper on spindle 23.

' Both of these spindles are provided at their rear ends withcylindrical discs 47 on spindle 22 and 48 on spindle 23. r

The paper forming the coreless rolls is somewhat narrower than the paperused in the ordinary cored rolls and in order to accommodate cored rollsas well as coreless rolls on spindle 22, the cylindrical discs 46 and 47are of a diameter adapting them to be inserted in the ends of the coreof a cored roll.

A second embodiment of this invention is shown in the drawings in FIGS.7 through 14. The second embodiment of the toilet tissue holding anddispensing device, which is the subject of this invention, contains thefeatures illustrated in the first embodiment, however, this embodimentof the invention is in the form of a device which is somewhat simpler toconstruct and therefore more economical.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 through 14 of the drawings, the secondembodiment of the invention comprises a rectangular frame indicatedgenerally by the numeral 49. The frame is formed of two separatesections which are hinged together at one end as shown at 50. One side51 of the frame is provided with spaced struck-out portions 52 and 53having openings 54 and 55 therein for the passage of means for securingthe frame to a wall. Secured to the side of the frame which is adaptedto be secured to a wall are longitudinally spaced spindles 56 and 57which extend toward the other side of the frame and which are pointed tofacilitate thrusting coreless rolls of toilet tissue thereon. Secured tothe same side of the frame and coaxial with the spindles 56 and 57 areshallow discs 58 and 59 of a diameter adapted to be thrust into the endof a cored roll of toilet tissue. Secured to the opposite side of theframe is a resilient element 60 having at one end thereof a shallow disc61 which is adapted to be received within the core 62 of a cored roll oftoilet tissue and frictionally to cooperate therewith to prevent freerotation of the roll. It is also designed to cooperate frictionally withthe end of a coreless type of roll when positioned on the spindle 57. Atthe other end of the resilient element 60 is not shown any disc but onecould be placed thereon if desired. Otherwise this end of the resilientelement 69 is adapted to cooperate with the edge of the core 62 of acored type of roll or of a coreless roll positioned on the spindle 56.

As the end of the frame opposite the hinged end is a lock whichfunctions automatically when the frame is closed to lock the sectionstogether in closed position. The details of this lock are best shown inFIGS. ll, 12 and 13. Secured to that portion of the end opposite thehinged portion which is connected to the side 51 is aplate 63 which hasan olfset portion 64 adapted to extend over that portion of the endwhich is connected to the front side 65 of the frame. The offset portion64 of the plate 63 lies Within the vertically spaced angles 66 and 67which are secured to the opposite portion of the end. Secured to theoifset portion 64 of the plate 63 by means of rivets 68 is a bifurcatedspring 69, the free ends of which lie in contact with the struck-inportion 70 of the frame, thus locking the sections of the frame togetherat this end when the frame is closed.

In order to unlock the frame a key 71 such as shown in FIGS. 12, 13 and14 is slipped downwardly through the notched end 72 of the angle 66. Theend of the key '71 is bevelled as shown at 73 so that when inserted inthe frame it passes between the spring 69 and the end of the frame thuspushing the ends of the spring inwardly beyond the struck in portion 7t!of the frame so that the sections of the frame may then be swung aparton hinge 50.

It is apparent that in the second form of the invention, that embodimentshown in FIGS. 7 through 14, the constructionof the device is simplerthan that shown in the first embodiment. *In the second embodiment, theframe is open at both the top and the bottom so that the individual whois charged with refilling the tissue holders does not have to open thedevice to see how much paper is left on either of the roll holders. Ifit is necessary for him to insert a new roll on spindle 57 or disc 59 heremoves the roll therefrom and places it on the spindle 56 or the disc58, and puts the new roll on the spindle 57 or disc 59, depending uponwhether it is coreless or cored.

Both of the embodiments shown herein however accomplish the objects setforth in the beginning of this application. The principal advantage ofutilizing this inyention is the saving in the quantities of toilettissue used, the ease of the burden of maintenance upon the one chargedwith the duty and the resulting cleaner and more sanitary lavatory.

Thus, among others, the several objects in the invention as specificallyaforenoted, are achieved. Obviously, numerous changes in constructionand rearrangement of the parts might be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A toilet accessory for disposition within the reach of a personutilizing a toilet adjacent a surface including in combination acabinet, a back of said cabinet adapted to be secured to said surface, acover of said cabinet hingedly connected to said back, an elongatedspindle mounted on said back in cantilever manner and perpendicularthereto, a full roll of toilet tissue of predetermined radius supportedby said spindle on the central axis thereof, a second elongated spindleidentical to said first spindle and fixedly mounted on said back incantilever manner in spaced relation with said first spindle andparallel thereto, a frame attached to said back, a side of said frameparallel to said second spindle and spaced therefrom a distance lessthan the radius of said full roll of toilet tissue, the spacing betweensaid first and second spindles being less than the diameter of said fullroll of toilet tissue so that a second full roll of toilet tissueidentical to said first roll cannot be supported by said second spindleon the central axis thereof due to the interfering presence of saidfirst roll and said side, and means on said cover adapted frictionallyto co-operate with said first roll when said cover is closed to impederotation of said first roll on said first spindle.

2. A toilet accessory for disposition within the reach of a personutilizing a toilet adjacent a surface comprising an open elongatedrectangular frame formed of two longer and two shorter sides dividedinto two separate sections; a hinge in one end of said frame securingsaid sections together, and means at the other end of said frame forlocking said sections together when said frame is closed, a first of thelonger sides of said frame being adapted to be secured to said surface,an elongated spindle mounted on said first longer side in cantilevermanner and perpendicular thereto, a full roll of toilet tissue ofpredetermined radius supported by said spindle on the central axisthereof, a second elongated spindle identical to said first spindle andfixedly mounted on said first longer side in cantilever manner in spacedrelation with said first spindle and parallel thereto, a side of saidframe parallel to said second spindle and spaced therefrom a distanceless than the radius of said full roll of toilet tissue, the spacingbetween said first and second spindles being less than the diameter ofsaid full roll of toilet tissue so that a second full roll of toilettissue identical to said first roll cannot be supported by said secondspindle on the central axis thereof due to the interfering presence ofsaid first full roll and said side, and means on said frame adaptedfrictionally to co-operate with said first roll, when said frame isclosed, to impede rotation of said first roll on said first spindle.

3. A toilet accessory in accordance with claim 1 in which means areprovided to be automatically actuated when the cover is substantiallyfully opened for holding it in open position and second means areprovided to be automatically actuated when said cover is fully closedfor locking it in closed position. i

4. A toilet accessory in accordance with claim 2 in which said lockingmeans include means for automatic-ally locking the sections togetherwhen the frame is closed.

5. A toilet accessory for disposition the reach of a person utilizing atoilet adjacent a surface including in combination a mounting plate forsupporting said accessory on said surface, an elongated spindle mountedon said mounting plate in cantilever manner and perpendicu-lar thereto,a full roll of toilet tissue of predetermined radius supported by saidspindle on the central axis thereof, a second elongated spindleidentical to said first spindle and fixedly mounted on said mountingplate in cantilever manner in spaced relation with said first spindleand parallel thereto, a frame attached to said mounting plate, a side ofsaid frame parallel to said second spindle and spaced therefrom adistance less than the radius of said full roll of toilet tissue, andthe spacing between said first and second spindles being less than thediameter of said cfull roll of toilet tissue so that a second full rollof toilet tissue identical to the first roll cannot be supported by saidsecond spindle on the central axis thereof due to the interferingpresence of said first roll and said side.

6. A toilet accessory in accordance with claim 5 in which the frame isU-shaped with one side thereof hingedly attached at its end to saidmounting plate, the remaining side thereof is provided with rneans forreleasably locking said frame in closed position with the center portionthereof perpendicular to said spindles whereby said frame encloses saidspindles and toilet tissue rolls supported thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS697,942 Hilton Apr. 15, 1902 733,934 Barker July 21, 1903 844,370 KrauthFeb. 19, 1907 1,354,434 Fassoulis Sept. 28, 1920 1,614,112 Fisher Jan.11, 1927 1,981,673 Smith Nov. 20, 1934 2,450,496 Whiteley Oct. 5, 19482,526,440 Toombs Oct. 17, 1950 2,555,531 Boord June 5, 1 2,565,994Sevenich Aug. 28, 1951 2,697,562 Langer Dec. 21, 1954

5. A TOILET ACCESSORY FOR DISPOSITION WITHIN THE REACH OF A PERSONUTILIZING A TOILET ADJACENT A SURFACE INCLUDING IN COMBINATION AMOUNTING PLATE FOR SUPPORTING SAID ACCESSORY ON SAID SURFACE, ANELONGATED SPINDLE MOUNTED ON SAID MOUNTING PLATE IN CANTILEVER MANNERAND PERPENDICULAR THEREOT, A FULL ROLL OF TOILET TISSUE OF PREDETERMINEDRADIUS SUPPORTED BY SAID SPINDLE ON THE CENTRAL AXIS THEREOF, A SECONDELONGATED SPINDLE IDENTICAL TO SAID FIRST SPINDLE AND FIXEDLY MOUNTED ONSAID MOUNTING PLATE IN CANTILEVER MANNER IN SPACED RELATION WITH SAIDFIRST SPINDLE AND PARALLEL THERETO, A FRAME ATTACHED TO SAID MOUNT-